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Copyright of Buca Faculty of Education Journal / Buca Egitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Buca Faculty of Education Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Synergies Turquie is the property of GERFLINT (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches pour le Francais Langue Internationale) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cet article présente deux études qui visent à tracer le développement de représentations sémantiques pour les prépositions spatiales en français langue seconde chez des locuteurs de différents niveaux de maîtrise. La première élicite la production de prépositions spatiales pour des situations spatiales spécifiques, et la seconde, des jugements d’acceptabilité pour les mêmes situations. Les résultats indiquent une structuration de la représentation sémantique qui continue à travers les niveaux de maîtrise.

Word frequency has long been viewed as the best predictor of lexical access. However, recent findings have suggested that other corpus-derived metrics (i.e., contextual diversity, semantic diversity) can better explain the word frequency effect in both native speakers and in proficient bilinguals. However, little is known about the contributions of these variables to second language lexical access, where the word frequency effect is purportedly larger than in native speakers. Results from a lexical-decision task with second language learners and a comparison group of native speakers revealed that both contextual diversity and semantic diversity were just as good, if not better, at explaining variance in lexical decision latencies as word frequency. These findings are broadly consistent with that of monolinguals and proficiency bilinguals. The results also underscore the need for more theoretical and empirical focus on different corpus metrics in modelling lexical access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role played by working memory (WM), that is, the capacity to temporarily maintain and cognitively process information, has been extensively studied in second language (L2) research. In a general sense, WM has been shown to be related to various aspects of L2 learning and use; however, little information is available regarding its relationship with L2 pronunciation. This study examines the relationship between the results obtained at a complex numerical WM task and the results from two French L2 pronunciation tasks, namely a reading-aloud task and a picture-based narration task, among 30 Mandarin-speaking adult learners. Results reveal that despite the absence of significant difference between the scores obtained from each pronunciation task, WM explained pronunciation observed in the reading-aloud task only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Other in Language and Through Language: The Perception of French Among Students from the Southern Region of Algeria ABSTRACT: In this article, we address the issue of attitudes and representations of students from the Tindouf region towards the French language. This study is based on a survey conducted among students at the Tindouf University Center. Our objective is to understand the relationship these students have with the languages present in their communication context. To achieve this, we employed both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) approaches. RÉSUMÉ: Dans cet article, nous traitons de la question des attitudes et des représentations des étudiants issus de la région de Tindouf à l’égard de la langue française. Cette étude s’appuie sur une enquête menée auprès des étudiants du centre universitaire de Tindouf. Notre objectif est de comprendre la relation qu’entretiennent ces étudiants avec les langues présentes dans leur contexte de communication. Pour ce faire, nous avons alterné entre approche quantitative (questionnaire) et qualitative (entretien semi-directif).

Copyright of Synergies Afrique des Grands Lacs is the property of GERFLINT (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches pour le Francais Langue Internationale) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Résumé Puisque le lexique est un ensemble si vaste qu’il serait impossible de tout enseigner, il faut enseigner à l’apprendre. Cette étude a mesuré les retombées de l’enseignement explicite de trois stratégies lexicales. Elle s’est déroulée dans sept écoles primaires innues. Sept enseignants ont implanté, auprès de leurs élèves, trois stratégies d’enseignement du vocabulaire (la famille de mots, le réseau de mots et la carte de mots) durant trois semaines. Pour mesurer les retombées de cette expérimentation, les élèves innus du groupe expérimental (N = 39) et du groupe témoin (N = 15) ont effectué, avant et après l’intervention, trois tâches en utilisant les trois stratégies ciblées. Les résultats ont démontré, en faveur du groupe expérimental, une différence statistiquement significative après l’enseignement des trois stratégies. Ces données ont permis de confirmer l’impact positif de l’enseignement explicite du vocabulaire sur l’emploi de ces stratégies par les élèves innus. Abstract The lexicon is an entity so immense that it would be impossible to teach it in its entirety. Instead, one must teach how to learn it. In this study, seven teachers implemented three vocabulary teaching strategies (word families, word networks and word cards). This study examines the results of the explicit instruction of these three experimental strategies on the usage of these strategies in the learning of vocabulary. In order to measure the results of this study, the Innu students in the experimental group (N = 39) and in the control group (N = 15) did three tasks using the three targeted strategies both before and after the intervention. The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference favouring the experimental group after the three strategies were taught. These data allow the confirmation of a positive effect of explicit instruction of vocabulary on the usage of these strategies by Innu students.

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Listening comprehension, which is relatively straightforward for native language (L1) speakers, is often frustrating for second language (L2) learners. Listening comprehension is important to L2 acquisition, but little is known about the variables that influence the development of L2 listening skills. The goal of this study was to determine which learner variables play a significant role in predicting L2 listening success among Grade 4 middle immersion students (N = 84). The variables of interest in this study were L1 and L2 vocabulary knowledge, auditory ability, working memory, and metacognition. Results showed that all the variables, except for metacognition, were significantly related to L2 listening comprehension. Regression analysis revealed that vocabulary knowledge, particularly L2 vocabulary, significantly predicts L2 listening success. The results are discussed in relation to their pedagogical implications for beginner learners of French. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Synergies Pays Scandinaves is the property of GERFLINT (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches pour le Francais Langue Internationale) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Résumé Dans cet article sont examinés la pertinence et l’impact d’une rétroaction ciblée sur la forme linguistique lors d’un cours disciplinaire non linguistique (cours en éducation) ainsi qu'en cours de rédaction avancé, alors que la langue d’instruction, en l’occurrence le français, n’est pas nécessairement la langue première desdits étudiants. Le but de cette étude, longitudinale, est d’évaluer la mise en œuvre d’un portfolio permettant aux étudiants, de manière semi-autonome, de mieux gérer les erreurs qu’ils produisent à l’écrit. Les soixante-deux étudiants ayant pris part à l’étude ont suivi plusieurs étapes depuis l’identification des erreurs, la codification, la correction, le calcul de la fréquence des erreurs produites par type. Ils ont ensuite été amenés à rédiger un texte réflexif. Le portfolio d'erreurs constitue donc un outil pédagogique grâce auquel les étudiants sont encouragés à participer activement au traitement de leurs erreurs, sans que cela n’entrave ni leur motivation ni la transmission des contenus de cours. Les résultats montrent une amélioration substantielle de la correction linguistique des étudiants. Abstract In this article, we examine the relevance and the impact of providing feedback on language errors in content-based courses where the language of instruction (French) is not necessarily the student's first language. The purpose of this two-semester long study was to implement a portfolio of errors which would allow the students to manage their language errors in an education course and a dissertation course. This portfolio is used to engage and raise awareness among students of the errors that they make in their written production. Sixty-two students took part in the study, where they followed several stages of the portfolio, from the identification and codification of the errors to the correction and tabulation (of the frequency) of the errors. Students took control of their own progress, and they submitted a self-reflection paper on their progress using this portfolio. The portfolio of errors supplied the professor with a platform where the students were encouraged to be active participants in the correction of their language without hindering their language competence or the course content. The results show a significant and consistent improvement of the language quality in the written production of the students.

Dans le présent texte, nous poursuivons un double objectif. Le premier est de rendre compte de l’importance du concept de bilittératie pour la recherche et la pratique en éducation. Le second est de susciter une réflexion sur les différents enjeux didactiques et pédagogiques liés à la bilittératie chez les jeunes élèves allophones[1] de Montréal inscrits en parcours de formation générale. Pour ce faire, nous abordons principalement deux modèles théoriques complémentaires. Il s’agit du modèle de la compétence sous-jacente commune de Cummins (2008, 1991, 1981, 1979), ainsi que du modèle des continuums de Hornberger (2004, 2003). Dans ce qui suit, nous verrons que la pratique d’enseignement de la langue de scolarisation au Québec, soit le français, nécessite une mise en question au regard de la réalité sociolinguistique dans laquelle évoluent les élèves allophones inscrits dans les écoles publiques du Québec. [1] Nous utilisons le terme allophone pour désigner une personne dont la langue maternelle diffère de celle des langues officielles du Canada, soit le français et l’anglais.

This study examines the practices adopted by teachers of French as a second language (L2) when working with adult immigrants in the province of Quebec concerning the usage of the learners' first languages. The potential for using the various languages known by the learners within a multilingual context remains relatively unstudied. We were interested in the quantity and function of mother tongues (L1) in L2 classrooms and the development of bilingual activities. Classroom observations and interviews with teachers enabled us to note the format, function and decisional factors underlying the interlanguage references made by these teachers. The goal of the study is to identify the type of pedagogical support they would need to enhance this aspect of their teaching. Our study shows that the observed teachers recognize the value of interlanguage references and use them mainly for lexical translations, phonetic comparisons and to tease learners. However, their language pedagogy, which is mostly spontaneous, is rarely included in their preparation. In conclusion, we reflect on possible pedagogical approaches that the teachers could follow to better take advantage of the different languages used by their multilingual, adult learners in order to help their learning of an L2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measures the effect of a specific intervention on phonological awareness of Innu students in Quebec. The interventions use some cultural and linguistic characteristics of the environment from which these students came. The intervention took place during 12 weeks. It offered various syllabic and phonemic activities. The experimental group (n = 30) and control group (n = 14) were from three kindergarten classes of the same Innu community. The results were evaluated considering students' phonological awareness and letter knowledge. The results from the pretest and post-test of phonological awareness and letter knowledge are statistically different between the groups in favor of the experimental group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-initiated self-repairs (SISRs), or revisions of speech that are initiated and completed by a second language learner have long been considered a window into psychological and linguistic mechanisms, which underpin second language learning. Previous studies have revealed that learners produce varying degrees of SISRs depending on proficiency level, task complexity or individual differences. This study examines the relationship between SISRs and two individual variables, attention shift and phonological memory, in a population of 30 francophone adult ESL learners. Attention shift was operationalized through the use of the TMT and phonological memory, through a non-word recognition task. SISRs in data from a picture-based narration task were coded by two judges. The results of a principal components factor analysis show that while attention shift is positively correlated with the production of discourse-related SISRs, phonological memory is negatively correlated with SISRs that concern linguistic forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a quasi-experimental research that examines the effects of a morphological awareness program in identifying plurimorphemic words in Arabic speaking students in 3rd and 4th grade of primary school in French.

Copyright of Synergies Afrique des Grands Lacs is the property of GERFLINT (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches pour le Francais Langue Internationale) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Íkala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cette étude de cas examine le développement en écriture d'élèves en immersion française précoce par rapport à un texte d'opinion. L'enseignante a adopté un modèle systématique de l'enseignement de l'écriture qui incorporait les pratiques exemplaires en écriture, les éléments d'un bon texte selon le genre, le processus de l'écrit et l'approche du contrepoids linguistique. Vingt-sept élèves d'une classe d'immersion précoce de la 7e année et leur enseignante ont participé à l'étude. Ces élèves ont écrit un texte initial ainsi qu'un deuxième texte après l'unité d'enseignement sur le texte d'opinion intégrant le modèle systématique. Le texte initial des élèves et leur deuxième texte ont été analysés selon une grille d'appréciation incorporant les six éléments d'un bon texte. L'analyse de ces textes s'est faite selon le pourcentage d'élèves qui ont mieux réussi le deuxième texte globalement et pour chacun des traits. Cette analyse a servi de données quantitatives. Ces textes ont aussi été analysés de façon qualitative et des observations en salle de classe durant le processus de l'écrit se sont ajoutées aux données qualitatives. Les résultats semblent indiquer que ce modèle d'écriture a été efficace pour l'apprentissage des élèves puisque 23/27 élèves (85%) ont mieux réussi sur au moins un élément d'écriture et presque 30% sur tous les éléments identifiés d'un bon texte. Des analyses qualitatives d'exemples spécifiques appuient ces chiffres. En plus, l'approche du contrepoids semble s'appliquer au développement de la compétence textuelle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cette étude a visé à l'exploration des compétences critiques développées et acquises par un groupe d'apprenants américains en français langue étrangère (FLE) de niveau intermédiaire, dans le cadre d'une expérience pédagogique d'immersion dans un environnement virtuel d'apprentissage (EVA), où les étudiants avaient pour objectif la résolution d'un problème complexe de manière coopérative. L'étude s'est concentrée sur le concept de négociation et de co-construction du sens comme phénomène paradigmatique de compétences critiques émergentes chez les apprenants en langue étrangère, et visait d'abord à évaluer la nature des schémas discursifs du discours produit par les apprenants au cours de leurs interactions par chat dans l'EVA, afin de sonder ce que ces schémas indiquaient de la qualité des compétences critiques de ces apprenants. Par ailleurs, cette étude visait à explorer le point de vue des apprenants dans la perception qu'ils ont eu de l'impact de l'immersion dans l'EVA sur le développement de leurs compétences critiques en français, pour mieux informer l'utilisation qui doit être faite des EVA dans les cours de langue étrangère. Cette étude a été basée sur un protocole méthodologique mixte de recherche, favorisant la complémentarité de données quantitatives et qualitatives pour permettre une validité et une crédibilité accrues des résultats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, language researchers and teachers have attempted to put meaningful communication at the centre of learners' classroom interactions. Yet the majority of existing computer-assisted language learning (CALL) applications have relied on largely non-communicative learner-computer interactions. The challenge facing CALL developers, therefore, is to explore new ways of providing learners with communicative practice. This article reviews existing uses of automatic speech recognition in second and foreign language teaching and describes the development of an innovative interactive automatic speech recognition system for developing second language speaking skills. This system uses video clips and the EduSpeak speech recognition system to simulate a nurse-patient interview. The system allows learners (for example, health care professionals whose first language is not English) to ask questions to an English-speaking patient and to receive both meaningful responses from the patient and feedback about their own pronunciation accuracy from the speech recognizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cette étude porte sur les effets de la stratégie d'enseignement des cartes conceptuelles sur la compréhension de textes informatifs en langue seconde. Soixante-neuf adultes apprenants en français langue seconde, dans une université francophone montréalaise, ont été aléatoirement assignés à un groupe expérimental ou à un groupe contrôle. Les deux groupes ont répondu, après la lecture d'un texte informatif, à un questionnaire de compréhension lors d'une épreuve de pré-test. Le groupe expérimental a bénéficié d'une intervention hebdomadaire durant quatre semaines. Après chaque intervention, la compréhension de chacun des quatre textes à l'étude a été évaluée au moyen d'un questionnaire de compréhension de texte comprenant des questions de type littéral et inférentiel. Une semaine après la fin de l'intervention, les apprenants des deux groupes ont été évalués au moyen du même questionnaire de compréhension utilisé lors du pré-test. Les résultats montrent que le groupe expérimental tend à obtenir des scores supérieurs à ceux du groupe contrôle, que ce soit pour le score global (3 textes sur 4), pour le score obtenu aux questions littérales (2 textes sur 4) et pour le score obtenu aux questions inférentielles (2 textes sur 4). Par ailleurs, les résultats de la comparaison du pré-test et du post-test indiquent que les étudiants du groupe expérimental ont pu transférer leurs habiletés de compréhension littérale. Toutefois, ils n'ont pu le faire dans le cas de la compréhension inférentielle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The community is an important stakeholder in language education, and community views are critical for the successful implementation of new language policies. This article reports on a study on multilingual language policies conducted in two primary schools in two communities in eastern Uganda, one rural and one urban, from 2005 through 2006. The study focused on community responses to the new language education policy, which promotes the teaching of local languages in the first four years of schooling, using questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus-group discussions to collect data from the two communities, each linked to a local primary school. The findings show that in both communities, although participants were generally aware of the new local-language policy, they were ambivalent about its implementation in their school. They recognized the importance of local languages in promoting identity and cultural maintenance, but a higher priority was their children's upward mobility and the desire to be part of wider and more international communities. Further, while area languages such as Luganda and regional languages such as Kiswahili were perceived to have some benefits as languages of wider communication, it was English that received unequivocal support from both communities. The study concludes that parents and communities need to be better informed about the pedagogical advantages of instruction in the local language and that communities need convincing evidence that the promotion of local languages will not compromise desires for global citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of research conducted in multilingual and underprivileged schools in Montreal. The goals of the first study were to observe the effects of participation in activities involving metaphonological capacities and the development of these capacities, as well as pre-reading abilities in French as a second language, among 107 students of immigrant origin in seven kindergarten classes (age five). A further analysis was conducted in order to determine whether there were differences in the results according to the type of intervention (with or without language awareness) and according to the type of class (regular or welcoming class). The second study involved the participation of a smaller number of students, specifically those attending the three welcoming classes in the school. In particular, it aimed to observe the effects of activities promoting language awareness on the students’ representations of the status of their first language (L1) in relation to that of the French language (L2) at their school and, in general, how they viewed linguistic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning to read and write in an alphabetic language, whether it is the learner's first or second language, requires the development of some sensitivity to correspondences between phonemes and phonograms. The study reported here investigated those correspondences in beginning learners of French as a second language. Three groups of learners participated in the study: anglophones, hispanophones and sinophones. In reading, a similarity judgement task was used at the graphemic level; in writing, participants were asked to write words presented orally. The results reveal that, in both reading and in writing, anglophones obtained the highest scores and sinophones the lowest scores. The results are discussed within the context of the hypothesis related to the effects of L1–L2 distance on L2 acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how listener experience (extent of previous exposure to non-native speech) and semantic context (degree and type of semantic information available) influence measures of intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness of non-native (L2) speech. Participants were 24 native English-speaking listeners, half experienced and half inexperienced with L2 speech, who transcribed and rated 90 English utterances spoken by six English and six Mandarin speakers. The utterances varied along two dimensions: real-world expectations (true vs. false utterances) and semantic meaningfulness (meaningful vs. meaningless utterances). Listeners with more experience understood more speech from the L1 and L2 speakers than listeners with less experience but did not rate it differently in comprehensibility and accentedness. All listeners understood and rated the utterances from L2 speakers based on the semantic context available: true–false utterances were understood and rated best, meaningless utterances least. These findings have implications for evaluating learner pronunciation and for training learners in successful L2 communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between three different syntactic elements and the intake of linguistic information presented in a written text. To attain this objective, young learners ( n = 76) of French as a second language read a text containing three targeted syntactic elements. Three experimental conditions were created. In the first group, participants ( n = 21) read a text in which the targeted syntactic elements were highlighted using typographical cues. Participants in the second group ( n = 29) read the same text, but the syntactic elements targeted by the study were not highlighted. The participants in the third group ( n = 26) were not exposed to the text. Intake was operationalized through the results obtained on an error-identification task that the students completed immediately after having been exposed to one of the experimental conditions. The results obtained only partially confirm the study hypothesis, according to which intake product will vary according to the syntactic elements to which the learner is exposed, independent of the experimental condition to which they are exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychologie Française is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)